‘Most filter plants do not add correct amount of chlorine’

Nine filter plants exist with several in poor condition

KARACHI:

Most of the filter plants in the city are faulty and do not contain the correct amount of chlorine, because of which the death toll from Nigellaria bacteria is increasing in the city.

A senior officer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation said on condition of anonymity that there are nine filter plants, many of which are not in good condition, while chlorine is not being added in the right amount.

He said that due to the criminal negligence of the top officials of the Water Corporation, the required quantity of chlorine cylinders has not been provided for a long time. In some locations, the staff adds the required amount of chlorine during the day, but not at night.

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Mohsin Raza, Secretary General of the People’s Labour Union, says that just as corruption reigns in other departments of the Water Corporation, the market for bribery is also hot in the water filter plants.

Mohsin Raza said, there is more than 15 million gallons daily water supply at NEK Old Pumping Station, which is stolen or supplied to water tankers and the residents do not get this water, while a filter plant is also installed on this important reservoir and here the Water Corporation also shows chlorine admixture, but the fact is that the filter plant of NEK’s old pump house is lying dry due to lack of water, and chlorine admixture cannot occur in a dry place, he said.

Chief Engineer of Water Corporation, Iftikhar Rajput while talking to The Express Tribune denied all these allegations and said that all our nine filter plants, especially the filter plant of NEK’s Old Pumping Station are fully operational. Full amount of chlorine is being added to them daily.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2023.